Pencil



4Jam. 14, `1958 B. SPEC-ron 2,819,700

PENCIL Filed Dec. 9, 1952 INVENT I.

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My invention relates to mechanical pencils and the object is to provide a pencil in which the lead (or graphite) need not be fed at all.

In mechanical pencils, leads are being fed at given intervals. According to my invention, the writer or draftsman keeps on using-without being aware-a stick of lead until it is almost entirely consumed, as if he would be using a fountain pen. After a crumb of lead is left, he merely drops in a new stick of lead.

I attained these and other objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a cross-section of a writing pencil;

Fig. 2 is a detail of the outer sleeve of Fig. 1, hereinafter called the outer holder;

Fig. 3 is a component part of a drawing or carpenters pencil shown in Figs. 4, 8, and 9;

Fig. 4 is a section through 4-4 of the modication shown in Fig. 9;

b Fig. 5 is a section of a further form of the invention through 5-5 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a section through 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a section through 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a section of 8-8 through the modication shown in Fig. 9;

`-NFig 9 is asection through 9 9 of Fig. 4 and 8; and

Fig. l() is a section through 10-10 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 3 to l0 illustrate drawing or carpenters pencils; Figs. l and 2 illustrate a free hand writing pencil.

As to the form of invention shown in Figs. l and 2, 11, Fig. l is the writing paper. 12, Fig. 8 is the drawing paper.

13, 14 and 15 are outer holders.

16 is a central tube having a hole 17, the lower part of which ts the lead and the upper part of the hole 17 is enlarged for dropping in lead at the top of the hole 17. 16 terminates into a shoe which glides on the paper 11. 18 is an enlarged portion and is roughened or knurled. 19 is a stern which I call the lead pusher and is fastened to or driven tight into the holder 13. Thus for practical purposes, 13 and 19 may be conceived as integral. At Fig. 2 are shown plurality prongs 20, which act as springs, thus the outer holder will keep the inner tube 16 in any position during the use of the pencil.

The pencil illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 consists of two parts: a holder 14 and an inner channel member 21, freely sliding upon each other and the separating spaces shown between them are highly exaggerated for clarity. At Fig. 5, 14 is shown bent in three-fold. 22 is the lead 'being pushed out during drawing by the holder 14 by its central portion having a heel 23. 24 is any convenient line which coincides with the center of the lead 22 by means of which the user may see the location of the lead 22. The channel member 21 is made thinner by two recesses 25 so that the lower portion of member 21 can act as springs, holding the lead 22.

Referring to Figs. 4, 8 and 9, 27 is a lead holder having a groove 28, the lower portion of which tits the lead and Yhates arent 2,819,700 Patented Jan. 14%, .1958

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the upper portion is wider into which a stick of lead is dropped for refilling. 29 is a cover having a plurality of prongs 30 which tightly t into grooves 31 in the lead holder 27. A spring portion 32 is sheered through the cover 29 which holds the lead 33 from falling down. Thus, the lead 33 ts loosely into the groove 23. A lead pusher 34, Figs. 4 and 8, is fastened to the holder 15 (shown soldered at 35). Thus 15 and 34 may be conceived as integral. The cover 29 has an opening 36, Fig. 3, for clearing the lead pusher 34.

The lead holder 27 terminates with a shoe 37 which slides on the drawing paper 12, guided by a straight edge 38.

Just as the above mentioned cover 29 has a tongue 32 to act as a spring for holding the lead 33, so the lead pusher 34 is bent beyond and towards the lead holder 27 in order to act as a spring to keep holder 27 from falling down when the drawing pencil is held by its holder 15. At Fig. 8, both the tongue 32 and the lead pusher 34 are shown straightened out in the assembly and thus the assembly is held together. And in addition (see Fig. 4), the two corners of holder 27 and the two corners of cover 29 i'lt snugly within the holder 15. But when the user holds the pencil (of a thin wall) along the minor diameter of an elliptical outer holder 15, he thus compresses it slightly, permitting the holder 15, with its lead pusher 34, to slide freely.

The writing pencil is used by dropping in a lead stick 35 into the enlarged opening 17, and the holder 13, with its lead pusher 19, is assembled as shown at Fig. l. In like manner, the drawing or carpenters pencil, Figs. 4, 8 and 9, is used by dropping in a lead stick 33 within the enlarged groove 28, Fig. 9, or lead stick 22 is dropped within the opening of the channel 21, of the pencil of Figs. 5, 6 and 7. After assembling, as shown at Figs. 6, 8 and 9, the pencils are ready for use.

I do not limit myself to the above description as modiications are possible.

I claim:

l. A pencil of the character described, comprising a lower, inner member which is adapted to bear against a writing surface and to support the pencil thereon during a writing operation, and an upper, outer member which is adapted to be held in the hand during such writing operation and by which pressure is brought to bear upon the pencil, said inner and outer members being in telescopic engagement with each other, said upper member enclosing substantially all of the lower member except for the lower end of said lower member which is exposed to bear against the writing surface, said lower member having a rectangular channel formed therein, centrally and longitudinally thereof, said channel being open at the top and bottom and along one side, and a rectangular bar on the upper member formed centrally and longitudinally thereof and projecting into the channel of the lower member both through the open side and the open top end of said channel, said channel being adapted to receive a rectangular stick of lead, the walls of said channel being adapted to frictionally and yieldably engage said stick of lead, the lower end of said rectangular bar being adapted to engage the upper end of said lead, whereby a downward force exerted upon the upper member by a person writing with said pencil, the lower member being held against the writing surface, will feed the lead downwardly through the channel and its open bottom end into writing engagement with said writing surface,y said lower end of the rectangular bar being provided with a downwardly extending extension which engages the side of the lead on the open Vside of the channel to cooperate with the walls of the channel in supporting the lead in operative position.

2. A pencil in accordance with claim l, wherein the lower member is U-shaped in crosssection, consisting of a pair of side walls and a yoke joined to said side walls, integrally therewith, said side walls and said yoke defining the channel for the lead, said side Walls being 5 sprung slightly toward each other to provide frictional engagement with the sides of the lead.

3. A pencil in accordance with claim 1, wherein the upper member is provided with a pair of spaced, parallel side walls, a yoke joined to said side walls, integrally l0 therewith, along corresponding edges, a second yoke joined to one of said side walls, integrally therewith', along its opposite edge, said second yoke being joined to said rectangular bar and supporting said rectangular bar in the channel of the lower member, said rectangular bar being disposed between said side walls in spaced and parallel relation thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

